"A household based in north London seeks an exceptional and qualified tutor to support their most junior child on his initial journey to growing into an British gentleman."
When reading this listing, you might naturally overlook the wording "first-steps" as simple figurative language.
Yet, it might be the most significant aspect of this unusual job advert, as it attempts to recruit a tutor for a infant.
Hundreds of responses have now been received since the unidentified family posted their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who has to be "someone very special".
In recent few weeks, the listing has attracted attention across the press, with many asking why?
Innovative Idea
The CEO, chief executive of Tutors International, which is assisting the family in their hunt, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he found the idea "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they recognized the unconventional aspect of their requirement, and how immature their son is.
But, they stated that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their elder sibling was five, and by that age "cultural influence had already set in".
What exactly does the family mean by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", Adam answered. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "really subtle, body language" from the family, and had assumed their cultural ways. The family told Adam they wished to avoid the same situation to recur with their new baby.
The intention: To bring in a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the start here is somewhat absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's by means of this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will pick up the English characteristics they aim to impart.
The consultant said the tutor had to be somebody who attended "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Money No Object
The family explained to Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a wide range of interests.
Additionally though, he said the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of classes so the child would be "horseback riding and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, assisting their son develop into a "English gentleman" will lead to achievement and open doors.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a status symbol," he notes.
But, notwithstanding all this guidance in "Britishness", might the child adopt what is termed cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by regardless?
"Certainly", replied the CEO. "The parents know this could fail, but they've simply adopted the attitude of, 'we should try and let's go as early as we can', because the price of it is not a concern," he explained.
Impractical
There are some in the tutoring industry who express these doubts.
Another CEO, CEO and founder of a tutoring service, who supplies individual instructors, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be lived into, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had emigrated from Asia to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been brought up experiencing and practicing dual heritages. He progressed to learn at Cambridge University.
"The notion that an individual can function as a living vessel of English culture, an individual who can possibly transplant the attributes of a British gentleman onto a infant child, seems to me optimistic and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, having a distinctly English tutor from infancy will does not instantly produce the outcome they want.
"I wasn't provided with such a tutor, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to live numerous of the experiences they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside influences; it must be selected, and it must originate internally."
Acquiring Englishness
Naturally, Britishness is something the expert believes can be educated – and marketed.
"I think the fact that the global community views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
